


Shyerna, the Feathered Wanderer

by phoenixreal_gaming (phoenixreal)



Series: Shyerna, Broadreach Elven Ranger [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Scarred Lands
Genre: Death of child, F/M, Scarred Lands - Freeform, character history
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-09-21 17:32:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9559757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixreal/pseuds/phoenixreal_gaming
Summary: Character history of Broadreach Elf Shyeran of Clan Eagle.





	

Art by Stuart Gormly

* * *

 

Nightmares.  They are misty veils of terror and horror that within them contain many things.  There are memories.  There are visions of the present.  Most frightening of all, there are prophecies of the future.

The Elves of the Broadreach Forest wanted to do something to save their world as the taint of Mormo grew and twisted their beloved forest home into something else—the Hornsaw.  Somehow, a great vision came to all of them of something that might make that possible—how to become one with the forest.  On Grim Day, 15 AV, the elves that once protected the beautiful Broadreach were gone.  One hundred years of their lives proceeded to come and go for the Broadreach Elves, but they neither saw nor were seen.  During that hundred years, the once verdant and beautiful Broadreach Forest—warped and twisted by Mormo’s blood—became one of the most dangerous and hostile places on all of Scarn. 

The elves were not gone, however.  Many tales told of their appearance in spirit form.  In that form, the elves often helped those who needed help in the deadly Hornsaw.  And on Grim Day, 115 AV, the elves emerged from their hundred-year merging to appear in physical, not just spirit, form.  Children were adults now, and all seemed to have lived those one hundred years in a different, albeit strange, fashion.  Ye all seemed to have the skills necessary to survive their new lives.

And they found something else waiting on them—nightmares, and often madness.  Strange and cryptic nightmares—often prophetic or with insightful memories—found their way to the minds of the elves of the Hornsaw.  The elves themselves also seemed different, changed by their merging with the land—a land that was Denev’s forest but had been so twisted by the poisonous ichors of her terrible sister. 

Shyerna, daughter of Adyuna of Clan Eagle, was born after the very end of the Divine War, in 1 AV.  At the Merging in 15 AV, she was barely 15 years of age.  When the elves emerged from their forested prison, she found herself full grown to the age of 115 years, already an adult woman.  Once things had settled and the elves learned of their new world, she was given the Tattoo of Community as she began her training in survival in preparation for the Rite of Adulthood she was yet to undergo. 

A strange obsession with motherhood began to surface very soon after the elves’ emergence, and Shyerna was not immune to it.  Shyerna knew her father in passing, an elf named Namere. Shyerna, or Shy as she was sometimes called with a mixture of bemusement, was his first child, and therefore his first daughter, and Namere was quite proud of the girl.  He became friends with her new adult self, and made sure she knew him.  He remained with Clan Eagle until Shyerna’s Rite of Adulthood, and had several other children with some other women of the Clan, but none caught his love as much as Shyerna.

Between this time and the time of her Rite of Adulthood, Shyerna’s constant companion was Jassa, one of the Avixes that lived in the small grove of Whisper Trees the clan tended.  Jassa was a fierce defender of her friend, Shy, as most Avixes are of the children they guard.  Jassa was most helpful when the girl descended into the nightmare-induced madness common among the Broadreach elves.  Even though Shy was not a child, it was as though Jassa sensed the naivety that Shy viewed the new world.  She may have appeared 115 years of age, but in a way, she was still the 15-year-old child that had merged with the forest.

Shyerna was given the title of the “feathered wanderer” at an early time.  Not long after the girl began preparation for her Rite of Adulthood, her nightmares would send her wandering.  Oftentimes she would wander outside the fortress when no one was watching.  Her madness was always some form of wandering, and was accompanied often by the other more common forms of madness experienced by the elves, such as hallucinations, paranoia, and the like.  Although she was strong of will, that strength was often not quite strong enough to abate the madness when the nightmares found her for days in a row.

She was often said to have been touched by Tanil in the way she constantly seemed to avoid great danger, especially on her early wanderings into the Hornsaw while maddened.  Each time she wandered, the young elf was picked up by a patrol, most the time by a Clan Eagle Patrol very often sent out as soon as Jassa came flitting back into the Fortress chattering about where Shy had gone off to.  If not for Jassa’s constant companionship, Shy would have been dead ten times over.

Shy was a cheerful sort, constantly keeping up the spirits of her fellows, despite her incredibly depressing nightmares that she suffered from when they came.  She also found herself more often getting into mischief than some of her other fellows of Clan Eagle.  She perpetually would play pranks on the others around her.  Usually it was not enough to get her into serious trouble, but on occasion it was.

By the time she endured her first summer solstice trials, Shyerna’s mother had ascended as one of the Clan Mothers to Clan Eagle.  Shy successfully completed the Rite of Adulthood at the age of 120, after only five years of training.  Her strength and agility rewarded her well, and as the community gathered, her Tattoo of Community was removed, and the Tattoo of Blending was put in its place.  Soon after this time, her father left Clan Eagle for Clan Porcupine.  He was a channeler of innate magic along with a defender of the forest, and had become an archer that blended magic with his weapon.  He was also a renowned bowyer within Clan Eagle, and knowing Clan Porcupine’s penchant for crafting the best Razor Bows in the Hornsaw, wanted to learn that art.  He bid his favorite child good-bye, and told her upon her Rite of Motherhood he would bring her a present. 

Shy decided that she was ready for an even further challenge, and chose to undergo the Rite of Tattoos soon (to an elf!) in 124 AV.  When it was done, she felt for the first time that she was a full-fledged adult among her people.  All that remained was the Rite of Motherhood.  Her brother, Dante, had been born, also Namere’s child, but Shy noted that her father had little to no interest in the boy. 

In 127 AV, about midsummer, Shy went mad from her nightmares and wandered off into the forest once more.  This time, though, no Clan Eagle patrol was lucky enough to find her. This time, Jassa was not with her at the time she began the wandering.  Instead, the elf wandered deeper and deeper into the forest, her mind fogged and uncomprehending of what she was doing. Finally, she woke from the madness and found herself in the middle of the forest with no knowledge of which direction she had come from.  She was not too upset, however, because she knew the forest like few others, and figured that she could find her way out without too much difficulty.  Then she heard noises and turned to find herself staring at a tree with two tiny shadowed figures in it.  Serpent Avixes, she knew immediately.  She felt the prick of their small darts in her flesh and found herself wracked with pain quickly thereafter.  They flitted off, not having much of a reason to shoot her other than because it was funny to them.  She finally found herself able to move, but she was left greatly weakened and finding it difficult to breathe.

Darkness began to fall, and she really began to worry.  She felt so weak that she did not think she could even begin the walk back to any place that she knew of.  She had wandered away without her Roundsword or her bow, and only had her Roundknife and her double sickle with her.  She always carried them, attached to a leather belt she wore about her waist, simply because both were such staples to their lives. She knew she couldn’t make it back to the Clan Fortress at night safely alone.  She decided to sit against the tree and wait out the night. So, in for a long night, she pulled both weapons and set to watching for anything the night would soon bring.

What the night brought was not what she expected: she felt someone reach out and grasp her by the shoulders.  She came around with her knife but found it stopped by a strong arm.  She looked up into the face of another elf.  This elf, unlike Shy’s clan, had rings up both of his ears, and several rings in his eyebrows and lips.  He was either a Scorpion or a Lizard clansman, she knew, and she hoped it was a Clan Scorpion patrol.  He put a finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet, as he dropped out of the tree.  He looked her over and reached up in the tree and grabbed one of the small fruits and bit into it.  He spit it out.  He leaned closer to her, and whispered. 

“Hissing Tree.  You’ve been playing with the Serpent Avixes haven’t you, young Eagle?”  It wasn’t so much a question as a statement.  Shy sighed and nodded, her eyes alert now.

He was down where she could see him and she clearly recognized the sigil of Clan Scorpion on his chest.  She herself was unmistakable as Clan Eagle by the nature of her tattoos and the patterns they took, along with the feathers that were woven throughout her hair and the feathered headband and armband she wore.  And on her shoulder was the Clan Eagle totem.  Now that she looked at him, he was a striking warrior, with strong muscles and beautifully done tattoos, along with the many piercings common among the Scorpions.  She herself had never had piercings applied to her, but some said the pain was more centering even than the tattooing process.  She’d always longed to find out if that was true, Shy thought as her thoughts trailed off briefly before snapping back to look at this male.  His hair was soft brown, what little he sported, and his eyes were vivid green, much like her own.

“Come, Eagle, we must leave.  A sighting of several hags out for the hunt has been reported a short ways from here, far too many for me to handle alone,” he paused, looking her over.  “Perhaps if the Serpent Avixes hadn’t poisoned you before I got here, you and I could have had some fun, but as it is, let’s get back to our camp.  It’s not far.”  With that, the man picked her up and slung her to his back and took off at a full run.  She held on, for thankfully enough strength had returned.  Soon they arrived at the small patrol’s camp.

“Hoo, Baram runs into the wood to scout and comes back with a woman,” a voice said as he came into the camp. 

“Better than you ever do, Chivas,” the man who held Shy retorted, and headed toward a tent. 

He pushed back the flap.  “Mina?” he said. 

“Yes, Baram?” a female voice answered.  They walked in, Baram setting Shy down to her own feet as he did.  An old elven woman sat before them, her face smooth in the way of elven aging, but with eyes blind it seemed.  She was flanked by two larger than normal scorpions that rather gave Shy the chills. 

Baram nodded toward Shy and spoke.  “Mina, I found an Eagle clanswoman in the forest.  Some Serpent Avixes mobbed her with their quills, and I could not leave her, as I spotted a Storm Hag on the hunt while scouting.” 

The old elf stood and approached, the large scorpions staying put.  She came to Shy and touched her face.  “Ah, young Eagle warrior, you are quite frustrated by not being able to get back to your clan aren’t you?” She pushed Shy’s face from side to side.  “What is your name young one?” she asked. 

Shy swallowed and spoke, “Shyerna, daughter of Adyuna.” 

The old woman nodded.  “Adyuna, a Clan Mother,” the old woman whispered.  Shy said nothing, knowing this woman to be very powerful.  The woman began to chant, and soon Shy felt her breath coming normally once more. 

“Many thanks,” Shy whispered.  Mina smiled and resumed her seat and began to pet the large Scorpions at her side. 

“Baram, take the girl and feed her something,” the old woman said.  “I have thinking to do.”  Baram nodded and escorted Shy from the tent.

“So, little Eagle, what were you doing so far from home?”  Shy accepted a bowl of soup they gave her. 

“The madness came to me, and I wander when it does,” she whispered as she ate. 

Baram nodded.  “Perhaps you’ll learn more control some day, young one.” 

Finally Shy looked up, her eyes flashing in anger.  “I’m an adult; I’ve passed my trials, and then some,” she said.  To be talked to as such, by a male, no less!

The much older Baram arched a brow.  “Well, I’m glad to hear that, but you are still young to those who’ve fought most their lives.  I spent over a hundred years growing up fighting during the Divine War before you were even born.” 

She nodded, saying nothing more.  “Sleep for now, Eagle warrior,” he said, “for we will not venture through to your lands this night with the Storm Hags out for some reason.”  She nodded and was given a place to rest for the night.

The next day she found that the group would have to keep her with them for a while, as they were not going to be heading very close to Eagle lands for two weeks.  They dispatched one of the Clan’s Avixes to go and deliver a message that Shy was with them and would be returned to them soon. 

Shy was permitted to accompany patrols of Clan Scorpion—as long as Baram was along.  Things went well until one night they were attacked unexpectedly by minions of the Blood Crone.  There were several deaths among Clan Scorpion, but Baram fiercely protected Shyerna almost to his own death, though she fought side by side with him.  When the patrol returned to the Clan’s current camp, Baram and the survivors informed them what happened and Shy was questioned.  She expressed her desire to return to her clan, and was promised that that would happen eventually, though at the moment they were fighting off several titanspawn groups that had been gathering.  So instead, Baram was given the task of making sure the Eagle was taken care of.  After all, the last thing Clan Scorpion wanted was to allow the death of one of Clan Eagle’s members—and certainly not if that member was a Clan Mother’s daughter. 

During the weeks that she was with Clan Scorpion, Shy came to be very close to both Baram and the Scorpion ways of life.  Eventually, she participated in their rituals and other things of their culture, and soon fell in love with the strong and quick Baram.  It would now be months before the nomadic Clan Scorpion passed by Eagle land, and though she still intended to return to Clan Eagle, she was bonded to Baram in marriage.  His strength, his honor, but most of all his passion, intrigued and attracted her to him.  Unlike her own clan, Scorpions were impassioned and embraced the wild emotions that ran through them. 

In honor of her tie to Clan Scorpion she was given the clan sigil on her hip, and her ears were pierced several times each.  She was also given a few small rings in her eyebrow on the right.  Mina, the eldest Matron in the clan, was also a talented tattooist, and it was she who gave her the scorpion tattoo.  She requested to be trained, and learned how to tattoo as wonderfully as the old woman.  They spent much time together when she was not with her dear Baram.  Soon, she found that this old woman was Baram’s own grandmother, and was older than any of the Clan Mothers in any of the clans.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Eventually, they returned to Eagle lands, though with the trials that faced them on the way, it took nearly half a year instead of the few months anticipated.  Shyerna returned to her Clan, and when she did, she asked Baram to petition for entrance into the Eagle Clan.  He chose to leave instead, saying he’d always keep her in his heart, but he had to stay with his people.  Staying in one place was not his way, and despite the fact she had accepted a Scorpion in her heart, he truly doubted many of her fellow Eagles would do the same.  She understood, but stopped him with a hand as he turned to go. 

As he turned to her, she said, “Would you return to see your child, Scorpion?”

He stopped and stared at her.  “I will return to see my child, Eagle,” he said with a smile, and kissed her gently good-bye. 

The Rite of Motherhood came afterward, and Shyerna was incredibly proud to give birth to a daughter, whom she named Byrina.  Shy was incredibly happy, and some days later her father came to see her.  In congratulations, he presented her with his a finely crafted Razor Bow, the first made by his own hands.  She accepted it with great thanks, and wished him well as he left again. 

The next midwinter after Byrina’s birth, Baram came to Clan Eagle.  Once again, he did not petition for entrance, but was joyous to see his new daughter.   Baram agreed to stay with Shy and Byrina until Midsummer, when he would return to Clan Scorpion.  The rest of the Eagle Clan were wary of having a Scorpion among them, and he was only allowed in public areas, preferably in the company of Shyerna.  He did not mind the hostility that the others looked upon him, however, for he only cared how Shy looked upon him and Byrina looked up at him. 

Things went well for the next few years, with Baram coming and going as the seasons moved and the nomadic Scorpions passed the Clan Eagle home.  Together, Baram and Shy watched their daughter grow and change, and both were very proud of her.  She was faster and more clever than most of her peers.  Her aim with the bow was already keen.  At 24 years of age, she was a beautiful young elven girl. Since the Divine War, elven children had matured rapidly, becoming, like the humans, physically grown in the extremely short period of just twenty years or so.  However, by their own standards, being able to fight alone did not make one an adult.  Most elves were still considered “children” well into their first century.  In their culture, though, a mother was afforded special consideration, and the Rites of Adulthood and Tattoos could be completed as soon as someone physically mature was with child.  However, the older elves would sigh and shake their heads at the little ones who rushed through life simply because they could.  Shy was determined that her daughter would take her time.  She doted on the child, and Jassa stayed with her nonstop.  Even Shy’s mother commented on how intelligent and clever Byrina was, and began grooming her to become a druid.  However, there was a wild streak in the child, given to her by her father no doubt, and she would rather fight than study and reflect most days.

Shy’s life fell apart in 151 AV.  Baram visited regularly, staying with her between Midwinter and Midsummer, when he would return to his own clan.  Their daughter was growing well, and Shy spent much of her time training with her bow that her father had given her.  When Baram left in the Midsummer, Shy, Byrina, and Jassa (over the objection of Shy’s mother) went with him to experience one full annual migration with Clan Scorpion.  The decision had been made at the request of Byrina, who wished to know how her father lived.  Even the clan mothers of Eagle could not deny a child such a thing, not when Shy was agreeable to it as well.

Summer wore on into autumn.  They had come to a place called The Border Wood, where humans and short-humans were reputed to be.  It was one of the safest places you’ll usually find, Baram had told Shy and Byrina.  It was a pleasure to let one’s guard down a little, and Baram and Shy took a walk in the woods, while Byrina said she wanted to go look at these non-elven folk she had never seen.  Jassa went along, but got sleepy in the late afternoon autumn sun and dozed off when she and Byrina stopped to snack.  When she awoke, dusk was soon coming on, and Byrina was nowhere to be found.  In a panic, Jassa sped back to camp where Shy and Baram were just returning.  She told them that she Jassa must have fallen asleep and that Byrina was gone.  Not alarmed given the reported safety of the Border Wood, Baram and Shy followed Jassa, trusting that approaching dusk would be not much hindrance to their ability to see in little light.  

They found Byrina’s tracks leading away into the wood.  They thanked Jassa, reassured her, and sent her back to the camp.  Then together they followed the tracks.  Baram was not worried, but Shy was fearful that madness had taken Byrina, and that, like her mother, she had wandered away in it.

Both became a bit wary when those tracks were joined by another set of small boot tracks, but still, given the Wood’s reputation and short-humans they knew to be not far, they were not fully on their guard.  They found their way to a small clearing, and were greeted by the horrifying visage of a Storm Hag, her hands bloody, and her mouth bloody as well.  Shyrena knew what had befallen her child.  Baram, without thinking, unsheathed his roundsword, screamed, and ran to the Hag, attacking with full fury.  Shy fell to her knees as the tears welled.  Why?  How, how could this have happened?  Her daughter…her child…  She pulled her bow.  Baram found the Hag more than he could handle, and as Shy watched, loosing arrows to try and help him, the creature picked up her beloved and flew into the sky, and though she soon lost sight of the hag, she stared at the spot she had last seen them until his screams faded out.  Shy was not yet without wits, though, and stood and ran, because if she didn’t, the hag would come back for her, and there was nothing she could do.

She returned to the camp where there was much talking about what the screams meant.  One of them said it sounded uncharacteristically like Baram, and they came over to where Jassa had heard Shy whisper “Hag. Flew off.  Byrina, Baram, dead.”  Shy stared off into space as the excitable Jassa tried to relay the information so the Scorpions could understand. 

Shy wasn’t listening.  The Rite of Motherhood had been for nothing.  Her child was gone.  And her beloved Baram was gone.  She had nothing left. 

For two days, while the Scorpions councilled and discussed the events while others of them met with settlers at the Woodmoot, Shy seemed distant and in a fugue-like state.  Jassa could get no response from her.  Then the nightmares struck.  Several days of dreams of the storm hag, her child’s death, her beloved’s death, and with them the madness struck her deeper and more intensely than ever before. 

The others knew she’d become maddened and even Jassa left her alone, seeing she was numb and no danger to herself.  The moon was high when the numbness faded and she stopped sitting alone staring into space.  As night deepened, she gathered her weapons, and slipped quietly away from her place on the edge of the camp.  In her madness, she was hunting the Hags.  Her only intent was to follow Baram who had appeared to come to her and was leading her away.  Baram would lead her to the hag and she would kill it.

She walked far out of the wood and saw the hags had gathered together at the edge of the wood.  She attacked, her eyes wild, her weapons ready.  But of course, it was not the hags, it was a small caravan camped for the night outside the Borderwood, and the hags she saw were the guards and sentries.  There were no Scorpion patrols to see her, and no one to report of what happened to her.

She killed three guards before they finally subdued her.  Every one of the dead was a hag to her mind, though.  The man that ran the caravan came out once she was bound and gagged.  When she awoke with her head throbbing, he smiled at her.  He had given strict orders that no matter what, if they were to see a tattooed elf alone, they were to take them alive.  She was worth gold to them.  Worth more gold than the dumb guards who had gotten themselves killed.

“Well, look at that.  Here I was lamenting the fact that we were not going to get any of the clannish elves to be both alone and close to us when here you come alone running screaming from out of nowhere.  I think you’re crazy, but it doesn’t matter.  You’re worth gold to someone who wants one of your kind.  He better come up with some extra after the damage you’ve caused…”

With that, she was loaded into one of the wagons and the caravan started moving.  Time wore on as Shy slowly came out of madness.  When it passed, she saw she was with what must be humans.  She couldn’t decide for herself how they related to the hags, for what was madness and what was real about that blurred.  She tried escaping them several times, until they finally ended up tying her up to the inside of the wagon with iron shackles.  She still nearly escaped them, however, her agility serving her well.  But the guards quickly subdued her when she tried.  She had no idea how long she stayed this way between descents into madness and being knocked unconscious when she struggled too much for them.

Then they stopped for a few days, although she didn’t know why.  Shy was being fed by the little human boy that always fed her.  The guards had noticed that she didn’t try to hurt the boy.  He was about a thirteen year old human boy that the caravan owner had bought off a trader to use as a caravan hand.  While the boy sat with Shy, he would tell her in his Shelzari all about his life before his parents were killed by a titanspawn raid.  At first, Shy had only listened, for there were numerous words that were unintelligible to her Ledean-trained ears.   But she learned quickly, and she understood enough now to smile.  It was the only time Shy would smile.  She didn’t speak much except in one or two word phrases, and couldn’t be sure she was understood even when she did, but she didn’t have to speak much because the boy loved to tell stories to her.  He was a dark-skinned boy, probably from the southern regions that Shy had never even heard of before.  He told of his home and his life and it somehow made her feel better. 

At another stop, she spoke to him as he sat reading to her from a history book he’d found.  “What’s your name?” she asked.

He looked up, his dark eyes sparkling; as this was the first complete question she’d ever asked him.  “Ralafas,” he said with a smile.

“Ralafas,” Shy repeated and smiled at him.

“Boy, come here!” came a call from the outside. 

Ralafas smiled and hopped down from the back of the wagon.  “I’ll come back later…”

“Shyerna,” she said softly. 

The boy frowned, then smiled, realizing that she had told him her name.  He walked away and Shy never saw him again.  The next morning the caravan owner came and briskly tied her with multiple ropes, unchained her, and then rolled her into a thick horse blanket.  It stunk, and it was hard to breathe, but she couldn’t move at all.  She felt herself being loaded onto the back of a horse, which drove the breath from her lungs even more than the stifling blanket she was wrapped in.  A short and rough ride later, she felt on the edge of consciousness from lack of air as she was dizzily spun out of the blanket at the feet of a tall dark man, whom she would find out was known as Jack of Diamonds.


End file.
